The present invention relates to the acquisition of data representing topographic and pictorial representations of dimensions of an object, by means of photography; and more particularly the invention relates to the photographic acquisition of data representing size and related measurements of the body of a human being whereby specifically photographic image is provided of the object of interest such as the body of a person in conjunction and under superpositioning with a measuring raster.
German printed patent application 34 25 913 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,107 and Canadian patent application, SN 485,303, filed June 26, 1985, which discloses during the taking of a picture of a person, horizontal lines are projected at an oblique angle from above on the person to be photographed while on the other hand and independently therefrom a measuring raster is concurrently projected into the plane of imaging and/or photography without such oblique distortion. The raster as per this patent is laterally inserted into the main imaging path through a semi-transparent mirror which is placed at an angle in front of the objective of the camera (FIG. 1, 2 of that patent). In a particular embodiment shown the measuring raster is introduced by means of the mirror whereby the distance between a wall having the measuring raster from the mirror is exactly or at least approximately similar to the spacing of the object to the photographed from that mirror. This procedure has a disadvantage that relatively large space and areas are required.
In accordance with another embodiment (FIG. 3) of that patent the measuring raster is projected by means of a flash projector using a slide which carries the raster at a much smaller scale. Still this procedure requires relatively large space. That disadvantage can be reduced as to its effectiveness in that one uses an objective lens having a very large depth of field. However, such lenses are usually quite expensive.
The two approaches are further disadvantaged by the fact that it requires high degree of adjustment accuracy. In the case of carelessness on the part of an operating person this accuracy may easily be eliminated so that incorrect measurements are taken and deduced from the photograph. Still, the U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,107 was as such a significant development and improvement from an earilier version, that is U.S. Pat. No. 4,370,039.